Vehicle tire antiskid device



De.14,1948. 1 J, TUNE'R l2,456,473

VEHICLE TIRE ANTISKID DEVICE Fiipd Jan. 21, 194'7` v Patented Dec. 14, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y VEHICLE TIRE ANTISKID DEVICE John Turner, Boston, Mass. Application January 21, 1947, Serial No. 723,429

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to anti-skid devices for vehicle tires and has for an object to produce such a device highly eective both when used in deep snow or on an icy surface, and which will provide the desired traction and minimize side slippage or skidding.

A further object is to provide such a device which is quiet in operation.

Still another object is to provide such a device which does not detract noticeably from the easy riding qualities of the Vehicle eve-n when the vehicle is traveling on bare or hard ground.

A further object is to provide such a device which can be readily applied to or removed from the wheel.

Still other objects are to provide such a device having long life, easy action on the vehicle tires, of inexpensive construction, and which can be used in place of the individual lag chains.

Further objects and advantages will appear from a description of certain embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an antiskid device embodying the invention and detached from the wheel.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective View showing a modification of the device of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary outer face view of a vehicle wheel showing the device of Figure 1 attached.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of Figure 4, but showing a further modication.

Figures 6 and 7 are sectional views on lines 6-6 and 'l-l, respectively, of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a detail sectional View on line 8--8 of Figure '7.

Figures 9 and 10 are detail sectional views similar to Figure 7, but showing successive stages in releasably securing ends of the device of Figures 1, 4 and 5 together.

In Figures 1, 4 and 6, there is illustrated a resilient strip of flat strap metal 50 which is bent into loop or arcuate form and preferably tempered to spring condition. This strip may, for example, be about 16 gage material, such material oiering no noticeable obstruction to easy riding of the vehicle and being quiet in operation. This strap 50 has a curved portion 5I adapted to be passed through the hole 4 through the wheel body 5, as shown in Figure 6, and it also has a substantially flat portion 52 adapted to extend across the tread face 2 of the tire as a 2 i continuous length. outwardly ofthe tire `the strap is bent upwardly as at, 5 3 and its-'lower end is preferably turned overinto hook form at 54 with a notch 55 in its end forming a re-entrant angle portion. The opposite endoithe device is provided with an elongated loop kelement 5,6 which may be provided with a plurality of openings 51 therethrough, the lower4 edges of which are formed with notches 58, which are of rless width than the hooked portion 54.

When the device is to be attached in position, it is threaded through the opening 4 of the wheel body, as shown in Figure 6, and the hookedfpor, tion 54 is sprung up into engagement with any selected of the cross members 59 which form the lower walls of the openings 5l. The provision of a plurality of openings 51 allows v,for size adjustment for tire wear or the like. The parts are so arranged that in unstressed condition the hook portion is sprung somewhat spaced from the element 56, but the hook mayl befpassed through any selected of the openings 5l and sprung into hooked engagement with the .corresponding cross member 59, as by the use of a tool such as a screw driver, shown in FiguresQ and 10, which may be passed through the desired opening 51, and its end engaged in the notch 55, whereupon by turning the handle of .the screw driver downwardly as shown by the arrows shown in Figures 9 and 10, the hooked portion 54 is pulled up and through the selected openings 51 and snapped over the corresponding cross member 59. The notch .58 permits the end of the screw driver to engage the cross member' 59 without hindrance from the hooked end 54. A reverse action by a screw driver may `be` employed to disengage the hooked portion 54 from the element 56. The element 56 may be secured to the adjacent end of the strap member 50 by any suitable means as by the end portion of the strap being looped through a slot 6U therein and bent back on itself, asat 6l. How;- ever, in order to avoid the necessity of attaching such an element 56 to the strap, the strap may be formed of suicient width to have theelement 56 integral therewith as is illustrated inFigure 5 in which the wider strap 64 is provided with the openings 51a with their cross members 59a and the opposite end of the stripis narrowed as at 62 and formed with a hooked extremity 63 similar to the hooked extremity 54; If desired, the strap material may be crinkled at a suitable portion of its length as is shown at 65 in`Figur 3 in order to increase its flexibility.` '1

As it is not easy to crinkle strap material later.

ally, to present edges obstructing lateral skidding of the wheel on which the device is attached, such edges may be provided by elements which may be suitably secured to the portion 52 of the strap material. These elements may comprise pieces of similar strap material which are Wrapped around the portion 52, thus presenting the side edges 13 which resist lateral skidding of the Wheel. In order to secure these elements against slipping,ether.v edges 'l5 lofi the: portion 52 may be luiled or otherwise roughened as shown best in Figures 1 and 6, such roughening yor lmurl-` ing providing for suirlcient gripping ci the elements 10 when they are applied'to `pre'ventsuch undesirable motion. The elements 'l0 which are wrapped about the tread portion of thev device project above as well as belowv thefstrandmae terial,` and the portions which project above indent the tread surface of the tire when the tire bears on them, this tending to prevent both end- Wedolibswieliiotln' of f the det/"icel on the iif-siiffac' Tliisiricreasesthe tractive eie'ct ldlolltl' resistance fof the device to lateral sid'rg' 'I liseelen'ents-'IU also oer substantidlfiea'soffcontaot to the tire" treadand to the aiwich providsfforincreased Wear onthe d'i'oe anda'si'er. action* on f the tire.

I Wlefristiiapfmtalis employed,- the 'reaction betleitliei Wffieelfan'd the road surface during motion of theiiwlieltndsf to incline the device oit1tlzeftvlieelp'v raising oneiedge Vof the tread portion"ofi'theideviefrontitheA tireF surface and pro- Vilhgi ixfslezl'st`L resistal'le toi` Skidding. When i-slfiddirigftrldsrto"occur, they device lies sub- Staltally latfagair'rfst-tlietire'surface so that the iidrigv dualitiesi offtlre'vehicle are not noticeably impaired) f yFinirithe*fforeg'oingidescription of certain embooirhentsoi this'invention; itwiu'be evident to those monsoon-theartthatvanous furthermortationsandchange"sfmightfbei made without defpa'rtig fionritsfspirit or scope;

fciaiif j i; anti-skid devieeeomprising a resilient olfeilop, of flat'strapr'netal for extensionlatere allyfe'eoss thefteadiface of a vehicle tire and for passagithrougnan opening through tnewneel inwardly of" saidV tire; the portion of said lopexthdlgcioss saldi tread face being sub# Staiitiallif Hat and* presenting'edge elementsex# tendingongitdiiallyof said treadand oiering lflstibtstdlatral skidding of` said Wheel" on aesuoportigisurface, tlie ends'oflsaie loop being mpl'ietitallyformed; for' releasable interenagefleiit"to"lildfrsaiddvice inl position.

2 An a'rit'l-sllii'cl1 deviceJ comprising a resilient noriniiy operiloop of flat strap material for tefisiori laterally across" the tread face ofa veticljtlie andffor-fpassage through fan opening tllroiig'hltlie Wheel body -iinw'ardly of'v said tire, the portion of saidloo'p extending"acrosssaidtread feeebeing sulistantiellynat, thev endsfoffsaid l1o op Bgoomplelhtally formed-'fori releasable in- 'tirigfineht to'- hold said device in position', d! Stap elements Pvlliappe'dA around? said'. tread reerlbopl portionlandpresenting edges extending lbi'igitiidially of saidtreadzface secured1 to said 'lition'Mitt oteiiilgl by. suchv edges obstructions toiltiteral skiddlng ot'said "wheelon aisupporting Stirfcez/ 31:. Ah antieskidf' device comprising a resilient openloopr off nati strap material forV extension laterally across 'the-f tread; face of' ay vehicle tire and for passage?through"an opening through the wheel inwardlyofs'aid-tireitheportion of said loop extending across said tread face being' substantially flat, the ends of said loop being complementally formed for releasable interengagernent to hold said device in position, and strap elements presenting edges extending longitudinally of said tread face and wrapped about said strap material at said portion and oiering by such edges obstructions to lateral skidding of said Wheel on a supp0rting,surface.

4,l Arr anti-skid' devicel comprising. a resilient normally open loop of flat strap metal for extension laterally across the tread face of a veliiole tire and for passage through an opening through the-Wheel body inwardly of said tire, the

kportion of said loop extending across said tread face'being substantially flat, one end portion of said. loopbeing'perlorated, and the other end portion of said loop being provided with an integralh'ook for engagement in said perforation to hold said loop closed in operative position.

5. Anl anti-skid-` device comprising" ay resilient norm-allys open u loop i ofv flat strap metal forex tension laterallyacrossthe tread' face "ofiavee hicle tireA and for passagey tlirouglivan opening through Athe wheel body inwardly-oi said tire; the ends of said loop being complementally: formed for-releasa-ble interengagement-to holdsaid'device in position.

6*. An anti-skid"Y devicecomprisinga resilient normally open -loop of 'flat 'strap metal forY extension laterally' across the treadI f face of 'ave llicle tire4 and'for 'passage through an opening through the Wlleebbody inwardly1 off saidtire, the vportion of= said* loopl extendirigl across` said tread face being substantially flat, thef ends of said loopbeing complementally formedforrelea-sable' interengagem-ent* to lhold l said` device `in position; said skid device-wbeing-normallyout of contact With saidti're and wheel except` along said tread'face and adjacent* to saidiwhecl' openl'lg.'

'l'. Ananti-:skid device comprising" ar resilient normally open loop of ilat strip metal forextension laterally across thev` tread face of a" vehicietireandfor" passage through an opening through the Wheel body inwardly ofsaidtire', the portion' of' said" loop extending" across*4 said tread face being substantially iiat and'theremainder ofsaidloop being normally outioffcontact with" said tire" and' wlieyel' except; adjacent to'saidwheel opening; theend""portionsofs said device" being normaliy` sprung apart; one" end portionof said device being p.erforatedand"the other endi of saidtdevic'e"beingformed'f with a two-pronged' vhook adapted'toy be engageclinn said perforation to hold said devicesprunginto closed position, said prongs providing av not'cl'lY between them with Whicha tool may be engagedto facili'- tate releasing ofsaid'hooked end from saidperforation..

JOI-INTURNER;

REFERENCES CITED The e following references arev of record. inthe file-ofthis' patent:

UNITED "STATES PATENTS Mooref i 1 lApr. .29; 19.41 

